Drinking cup



July 9, 1929. M. VIERENGEL DRINKING CUP Filed Feb. 16, 1927 formed,thereby making the pile of cups Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW V'IERENGEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO I. VIEBENGE'L m-CIEINE CO.

, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DRINKING CUP.

Application filed February 16, 1927. Serial No. 168,546.

My present invention relates to a drinkin cup and more particularly tothat type 0 drinking cup made of paper or other similar material andfoldable to assume a normally flat position and the parts of which areadapted to be spread or separated for use. I am aware that heretoforevarious forms of this 'type of drinking cup have been made and used,examples of these are that type in which the cup is formed to compriseobverse and reverse members having substantially parallel sides andprovided with flaps by which the cups may be removed from a superimposedpile thereof; that type in which the cup is constructed to taper from arelatively narrow closed end to a'relatively wide opened end; and thattype in which a parallel sided cup has been provided at the open endthereof with a spout for the supposed purpose of aiding or directing theliquid inits flow from the cup in the use thereof. In this and othersimilar forms of foldable drinking cups made of paper and similarmaterial there is more or less difliculty as well as inconvenience in-the use thereof. Oftentimes, due to the set formed in the paper by thepiling and packing of the cups they do not readily open as intended;obviously .in that type of cup in which the sides taper from arelatively narrow closed end to a relatively wide opened end there is atendency of the liquid to flow too fast from the cup in the use thereof.Furthermore, in the construction of drinking cups of this type, theflaps which are employed to close the cup are folded in such a mannerthat the seam 1s of varying numbers of piles of material from which thecupk is w en placed together thicker in certain portions than otherswhich is an obvious disadvanta e in ackin the cups.

e o ject o my invention is to overcome these difliculties and to providea cup of the -tvpe to which the invention relates in which there is arelatively wide closed end and a relatively narrow open-end, the openend bein preferably provided with an extension for irecting the flow ofthe liquid from the cup tothe mouth of the user whereby as will be apreciated due to the taper of the cup the ow of the liquid is more orless retarded and in any event does not rush from the cup to the mouthof the user. Furthermore, in carrying out the invention the blank fromwhich the cup is formed is so constructed that the flaps, by which whenfolded the closed end of the cup is formed, provide a uniform thicknessof the seams by which the closed joint in the cup is made. Stillfurthermore, in carrying out the invention, the adhesive is so appliedto the corners of the interfold flaps as to insure a liquid tight jointat the closed end of the cup. These and other features of the drinkingcup made in accordance with the present invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described. When formed, my cup presents substantiallysimilar reverse and obverse sides of trapezoidal shape, the bot tomclosed end of the cup being the base of the trapezoid and being thelonger of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, the shorter oppositeside definin the open top end of the cup. The opposite ateral edges ofthe obverse and reverse sides, defining the two other opposite lateralsides of the trapezoids, substantially converge toward each other asthey extend from the bottom to the top of the cup, which results informing a receptacle m which the width of the obverse and reversefaces,'at the top open end of the cup, are substantially less than thewidth of these faces at the bottom closed end.

' As the result of the shape and combination of the parts forming mycup, when in use, the obverse and reverse faces diverge from each otheras they extend upwardly from the closed bottom to the open top, thepoints of greatest divergence of these faces bein at the edges definingthe open top end 0 the cup.

- In the drawing Figure 1 is a. perspective view illustratin a drinkingcup made in accordance with t is invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of a blank from which the cup is constructed. I

1 3 is a plan showing the parts of the blanl? partially folded toposition. Fig. 4 is a plan showlng the parts com pletely folded toposition.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5, F g. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line6-6, F g. 4. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7, Fig. 4.- Fig. 8 is apartial elevation showing another form of blank, and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the closed end of a cup when made in the formof the cup illustrated in Fig. 8.

7 Referring to the drawing and particularly forming an obverse side ofthe cup. These parts are spaced with their limitations determined byfold lines 13 and 14.. One end of the blank is provided with anextension at the corres ending end of the reverse-side 10 and the adacent edge portions of the flaps 11 and 12 are cut away substantially asillustrated in this figure of the drawing in order that when folded toposition a lip 15 is provided at the open end of the cup for directingthe flow of the liquid from the cup to the mouth of the user orotherwise as may be desired for example in pouring liquid from the cup.

At the opposite end of the blank the reverse side 10 is extended toprovide a fla 16 and the corresponding ends of the flaps 11 and'12 areextended to provide. flaps 17 and 18. Also as illustrated in thisfigure, the op posite ends of the flap 16 merge with the adjacent endsof the flaps 17 and 18, that is the flaps 17 and 18 form continuationsof the flap 16 and are not separated or divided therefrom.

In forming the blank in addition to the fold lines 13 and 14 which maybeformed by suitably creasing the material, the blank is also providedwith a fold line 19 at the flap end of the reversemember, and fold lines20 and 21 at the flap'ends of the flaps 11 and 12. In folding the partsof the blank to position the flap 11 is first folded over on theline 13and the flap 12 then folded on the line 14 so that the parts-then assumea position as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the fold line 20 is inalignment with the fold line 19 and also the fold line 21 is inalignment with the fold line 19. At this point in the description it isto be noted that the flap end of the flap 11 is cut away as indicated at22 and the adjacent and of the fla 17-as indicated at 23, whilecorresponding the flap end of the flap 12 is cut away as indicated at 24and the adjacent end of the flap 18 as. indicated at 25. The outerextremity of the fold line 20 terminates in this cut away portion of theflaps 11 and 17 as indicated at 26, and the outer end of the fold line21 terminates in the cut away portion'of the flaps 12 and 18 asindicated at 27. The construction is such that when the parts are foldedas hereinbefore described the ends of these fold lines 20 and 21 assumea superimposed position, that is the end 27 ofthe fold line 21 issuperimposed on the end 26 of the fold line 20 in a point asindicated at28 for a purpose which will presently appear.

The edge portion of the flap 12 is provided with a suitable adhesivematerial as indicated at 29,- and the flap 16 is provided with anadhesive material as indicated at 30 which is extended across and madeto cover adjacent portions of the flaps 17 and 18 as indicated at 31 and32 respectively. It will now be understood that in making the told ashereinbefore described the adhesive material 29 on the flap 12 connectsthis flap to the flap 11 and that the adhesive'material on the flaps 17and 18 overlies the adhesive material on the adjacent surface of thefiap l6 and provides what may be termed a double supply of adhesive tothese superimposed portions of the flaps to assist in insuring a liquidtight joint at the closed end of the cup. The other portions of theflaps 17 and 18 are also caused to adhere to the adjacent or underlyingportions of the flap 16 due to the fact that the flap 16 in itssubstantial entirety is provided withthe adhesive material.

In completing the closure the flaps 16,17 and 18 are folded on a line 33which is coincident with the then superimposed fold lines 19, 20 and 21.This causes that portion of the gummed or adhesived inner surface oftheflap 16 which then extends beyond the edges of the flaps l7 and 18 toadhere to the outer underlyin surfaces of the flaps 11 and 12. It willnow e understood that because of the cut away ends of the flaps 11 and17 and the correspondingly cut away ends of the flaps 12 and 18 thatportion 23 of the cut away end of the flap 17 conforms substantiall withthe cut away end portion 24 of the ap 12, and correspondingly the cutaway end portion 25 of the flap 18 corresponds substantially with thecut away end portion 22 of the flap 11 so that in this portion of thejoint there are only three plies in all parts In this form of theinvention the end portions of the flap 16 are so formed that when theflap 16 is turned to place these end portions lie'substantially parallelwith the cor responding edges of the cup as is clearly indicated in Fig.4 of the drawing. In some instances, however, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9,the end portions of the flap 16 may be extended as indicated at 34 and35 and after the flap 16 is folded to position these end portions 34 and35 thereof may be turned over the tapering edge portions of the obverseand reverse members of the cup and secured to the underlying adjacentsurface of the reverse side of the cup. This feature, however, is adetail of construction which is no necessary part of the invention.

'As illustrated in the drawing the reverse member is provided with acrease line 38 extending in a substantially centrally disposed positionfrom the open end of the cup an appreciable distance toward the closedend of the cup. This may be provided to cause the cup to more readilyopen by compressing the tapering side edges thereof. It will beunderstood, however, that this crease line may be dispensed with orinstead of being placed in the reverse side ormember may be placed inthe obverse side or member with the same results.

ll claim as my invention:

1. A drinking cup formed from a blank of foldable material andcomprising a reverse member, an obverse member having overlapping andconnected parts which when turned to position conform to the reversemember, flaps extending from corresponding ends of the reverse memberand the parts of the obverse member and adapted to be folded over uponand connected to themselves and the ad j acent outer faces of the partsof the obverse member to form a relatively wide closed end at oneextremity of the cup from which the cup tapers to a relatively narrowopen end, the adjacent portions of the parts of the 0bverse member andthe flaps extending therefrom being so cut that when the flaps arefolded over on each other the joint formed by the flaps is made of asubstantially uniform number of plies throughout.

2. A drinking cup formed from a blank of foldable material andcomprising a reverse member, an obverse member having overlapping andconnected parts which when turned to position conform to the reversemember, fiaps extending from corresponding ends .of the reverse member,and also from the ob verse member, which flaps are adapted to be foldedover u on and connected to themselves and to the ad acent outer faces ofthe parts of the obverse member to form a closed end at one extremity ofthe cup, the adjacent portions of the parts of the obverse member andthe flaps extending therefrom being so cut that when the flaps arefolded over on each other the joint formed by the flaps is made of asubstantially uniform number of plies throughout.

3. A drinking cup of foldable material,

comprising a substantially flat, trapezoidally shaped reverse member, asubstantially flat, trapezoidally shaped obverse member, consisting offlaps integral with and folded transversely over said reverse memberfrom the opposite longitudinal sides thereof and united along theiroverlapping edges, and a flap closing the base of said cup, integralwith and folded longitudinally over said reverse member from the basethereof and overlapping and united to the base of the obverse member.

4. A drinking cup of foldable material, having a closed bottom and anopen top, com-/ prising a substantially flat, trapezoidally shapedreverse member, a substantially flat, trapezoidally shaped obversemember, consisting'of flaps integral with and folded in a single foldtransversely over said reverse member from the opposite longitudinalsides thereof and united along their overlapping edges, and a flapclosing the base of said cup, integral with and folded in a single foldlongitudinally over said reverse member from the base thereof andoverlapping and united to the base of the obverse member, the uppermarginal edges of the reverse and obverse members being of convex andconcave outline, respectively.

5. A blank of foldable material for a drinking cup, comprising a reversemember, the

sides and bottom of which are confined, respectively, by the sides andbase of a trapezoid, two side flaps, which extend from the sides of saidreverse member, which are of such width that they overlap each otherabove said reverse member when they areoverfolded along the sides ofsaid reverse member, and which are of such length at their lower endsthatthey overlap the bottom of said reverse member, when they areoverfolded along the sides of said reverse member, a base flap extendingfrom the bottom of said reverse member, and adhesive means on one sideof said base flap and on those parts of said side flaps which overlapeach other when folded over said reverse member.

- 6. A blank of foldable material for a drinking cup, comprising areverse member, the sides and bottom of which are confined,respectively, by the sides and base of a trapezoid, two side flaps whichextend from the sides of said reverse member, which are of such widththat they overlap each other above said reverse member when they arefolded along the sides of said reverse member, and

which are of such length at their lower ends that they overlapthe'bottom of said reverse flaps diagonally crossing each othersubstan-' tially-at the line confining the bottom of said reversemember, when said flaps are folded over said reverse member, and a baseflap exitoending from the bottom of said reverse mem- 7. A blank offoldable material, for a drinking cup, comprising a reverse member, thesides and bottom of which are defined, respectively, by the sides andbase of a trapezoid and the top margin of which is defined by a convexlycurved line, flaps extending from the opposite longitudinal sides ofsaid reverse member, foldable transversely over said reverse member sothat their longitudinal edges will overlap each other and form an obverse member, the bottom transverse edge of which will extend below thebase line of said reverse member and the top margin of which flap whenin overfolded position.

\ 8. A blank of foldable material, for a drinkingcup, comprisingareverse member, the sides and bottom of which are defined,respectively, by the sides and base of a'trapezoid, flaps extending fromthe opposite longitudinal sides of said reverse member, foldabletransversely over said reverse member so that their longitudinal edgeswill overlap each other and form an obverse member, the bottomtransverse edge of which will extend below the base line of said reversemember and the longitudinal overlappin edges of which will dia onallycross each other substantially above said base line of said reversemember, a flap extending from the base of said reverse member, foldablelongitudinally thereover to overlap the bottom transverse edge of saidobverse member, and adhesive means on one side of said base flap and ofthose parts of said side flaps which overlap each other and said baseflap when in overfolded position.

Signed by me this 24 day of January, 1927.

MATTHEW VIERENGEL.

